Big names not in the game

Mark Camps

Published
4:00 am PDT, Sunday, July 8, 2001

The 2001 All-Star Game will be remembered more for those who didn't make the teams than for those who did.

Never mind all the controversial snubbings, how about Pedro Martinez, the three-time Cy Young Award winner? He's injured, but probably would have been aced out anyway. And where's Nomar Garciaparra, last year's American League batting champ? Out all year with a wrist injury. And Tom Glavine, the reigning NL leader in victories? Not good enough.

Jason Giambi, last year's AL Most Valuable Player, easily could have been left off the roster because of the number of excellent first basemen in the AL.

But thanks to manager Joe Torre's good sense, the A's slugger was selected as a reserve. One would think reigning MVPs who were healthy would make the All- Stars on the carryover effect alone. But it's not the case.

TRIVIA QUESTION: Can you name the only MVP never to make an All-Star team?

BIG NAMES, FEW GAMES: Speaking of all-time greats who had little exposure in All-Star Games, many of baseball's top names had precious few appearances in the Midsummer Classic. (And we're not talking about those who played before 1933, the year of the first All-Star Game.)

Among members of the 500-homer club who started their careers after 1933, Willie McCovey (521 homers) has the fewest All-Star appearances with six. Among members of the 400-homer club, Darrell Evans (414 homers) has the fewest appearances with two. Even Dave Kingman (442 homers, three All-Star Games) had more the Evans.

Among members of the 3,000-hit club (post-1933), Yount participated in the fewest games (three). Surprisingly, Lou Brock, a World Series hero many times over and Cardinals icon, played in just five All-Star Games.

ALL-STAR ASIDES: Albert Pujols is the first Cardinals rookie to be named an All-Star since 1955, when pitcher Luis Arroyo was selected. Pujols is the first St. Louis rookie position player selected since third baseman Eddie Kazak in 1949. . . . Lefty Mike Hampton is the first All-Star pitcher in Rockies history. . . . The Twins placed three (pitchers Eric Milton and Joe Mays, and shortstop Cristian Guzman) on the All-Star team for the first time since 1992. It's the first time the Twins had at least two pitchers on the team since '91, when Rick Aguilera and Jack Morris were taken.

Not only is Toronto's Paul Quantrill the first Canadian-born Blue Jays player to make the team, but he's just the second player whose last name begins with Q. The other: The late Dan Quisenberry, who was an All-Star for the Royals from 1982-84. . . . Minnesota's Mays is just the second Mays to be an All-Star. The other: 24-time selection, Willie Howard Mays. . . . Seattle's Freddy Garcia, a first-time selection, is the fourth Garcia to be an All-Star. The others: Carlos (1994 Pirates), Damaso (1984-85 Blue Jays) and Mike (1952- 54 Indians).

Rookie Jimmy Rollins, who prepped at Encinal High School in Alameda, is the first Phillies shortstop named an All-Star since current Phillies manager Larry Bowa in 1979. . . . Rollins (22 years, 7 months) is the youngest Phillie selected since right-hander Ray Culp in 1963 (21 years, 11 months). . . . Montreal's Vladimir Guerrero, an All-Star for the third straight year, is the first Expos position player to have such a streak since Tim Raines made seven straight All-Star Games from 1981-87. . . . First baseman Mike Sweeney, Kansas City's lone All-Star, is the first Royals position player named to consecutive All-Star Games since George Brett was selected 13 straight years from 1976-88.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Gibson, the gimpy outfielder who was the spiritual leader of the World Series champion Dodgers in 1988, won the NL MVP that year, yet in 17 seasons as a big-leaguer was never selected to an All-Star team.